While on a road trip along the coast of Rhode Island, we spent time checking out these wonderful estates.
The grand mansions along the ocean in Newport, Rhode Island have a rich history. In the late 1800s and early 1900s, wealthy industrialists like the Vanderbilts, Astors, and Berwinds built extravagant “summer cottages” along the famed Cliff Walk overlooking the Atlantic.
The Breakers are the most famous. Built in 1895 by Cornelius Vanderbilt II, it’s the largest and grandest of all. These mansions became symbols of the excess and splendor of the era. After the Great Depression and changing times, many families couldn’t maintain them. Luckily, preservation groups stepped in, and today, many are open to the public, letting visitors step back into a time of glittering balls, ocean breezes, and opulent architecture.
If you have time for just one, make it The Breakers. If you want a romantic walk, combine Marble House and the Cliff Walk right behind it.